“How could it be Geng Songsheng’s?”

Zhu Yuanzhao’s body trembled violently, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. “Why would my father keep Geng Songsheng’s life chart?”

“Hard to say!”

Li Buyan shrugged. “What if he really did something unconscionable?”

Zhu Yuanzhao was infuriated. “Miss Li, my father would never do anything unconscionable.”

“Stop arguing!”

Yan Sanhe’s expression was serious. “Second Master Zhu, is there a way to confirm it?”

“Yes!”

Zhu Yuanzhao wiped the cold sweat with his sleeve.

“I have Geng Songsheng’s birth date and time, I just never did a detailed calculation. Back then I only used his eight characters to test for fortune and misfortune.”

“How long would a calculation take?”

“At most half a shichen.”

Zhu Yuanzhao made a quick decision. “Miss Yan, please wait. I’ll return to the study right away…”

“Let’s go together!”

Zhu Yuanzhao was startled. “But this courtyard…”

“No need to continue looking.”

Yan Sanhe said flatly: “I’ve already detected what’s wrong.”

Zhu Yuanzhao felt his body growing cold inch by inch.

There was something wrong with Mother’s courtyard;

Elder Sister’s courtyard was also problematic;

And now an unnamed life chart tucked in Father’s book…

Zhu Yuanzhao instinctively wanted to check his eldest brother’s expression, but when he turned his head, he remembered that his eldest brother had hurriedly left with Young Master Pei.

“Miss Yan.”

He swallowed. “Could you tell me what’s wrong?”

Yan Sanhe pointed with her hand. “The osmanthus isn’t right!”

Zhu Yuanzhao: “…”

Just then, more shouting came from the distance: “Miss Yan, Miss Yan!”

Hearing this voice, Yan Sanhe looked up at Li Buyan.

Why would it be Zhu Qing?

Shouldn’t he be accompanying Xie Zhifei during the inspections?

Zhu Qing practically ran over, panting like an ox. He hadn’t stopped all evening.

“Miss Yan, you were hard to find. I went to the villa first but came up empty, almost went to the Xie residence next.”

Yan Sanhe didn’t rush to speak but let Zhu Qing catch his breath before asking: “What do you need me for?”

“Third Master is waiting outside the side gate. He asks Miss Yan to come quickly.”

Zhu Qing paused. “Third Master says there’s a lead on Geng Songsheng.”

“Really?”

Zhu Yuanzhao shouted out first, then stomped his foot. “Miss Yan, let’s go, quickly!”

“What’s the rush!”

Yan Sanhe stopped him. “I’ll go see him. You go calculate Geng Songsheng’s life chart. We’ll split up.”

“But…”

“Whatever Third Master says, I’ll tell you word for word.”

Yan Sanhe turned to Ding Yi. “Ding Yi, you continue organizing in the study.”

“Yes!”

As Ding Yi turned around, he winked at Zhu Qing: See, my new master—so commanding!

Zhu Qing, exhausted to death, naturally had no pleasant expression for him: Are you asking for a beating again, boy?

…

When Yan Sanhe stepped through the side gate, she looked up to see Xie Zhifei leaning against the wall.

The night was too dark; the lantern’s light didn’t reach his face. But Yan Sanhe had a strong intuition that from the moment she crossed the threshold, this man had been watching her.

She walked over. “There’s news about Geng Songsheng?”

Xie Zhifei glanced around. Seeing that no one from the Zhu family had followed, he lowered his voice. “We encountered Northern Office people during the inspections. Someone said he became a monk at Mount Wutai.”

“Became a monk?”

Yan Sanhe was genuinely surprised. “Is this information reliable?”

“The man who saw Geng Songsheng with his own eyes is already dead, but it doesn’t sound false.”

Xie Zhifei: “Because Geng Songsheng’s cheating that year was discovered by Northern Office people. They had a deep impression of that kid. Even Cai Si remembers what he looks like.”

Cai Si, the head of the Northern Office.

Ordinary people couldn’t catch his eye, let alone be remembered by him.

“If the Zhu family asks who found this, don’t mention Cai Si. Just say it was the Grand Imperial Grandson’s people. I came just to deliver the message.”

Yan Sanhe suddenly looked up.

The man’s gaze held a mix of helplessness and ingratiation. Yan Sanhe didn’t need to think to know this person was trying to win hearts for the Grand Imperial Grandson.

“I don’t care who found it.”

She only cared about meeting the person.

“How many days from the capital to Mount Wutai?”

“Riding fast with frequent horse changes, less than four days.”

“We found a page in Old Master Zhu’s books with someone’s life chart written on it. There’s a strong possibility it’s Geng Songsheng’s. Second Master Zhu is recalculating it now. The results will come soon.”

Yan Sanhe paused. “Whether it’s Geng Songsheng’s or not, I’ve decided I must go see him.”

Xie Zhifei really didn’t want Yan Sanhe to leave the capital. He asked tactfully: “Would meeting him be meaningful?”

“Yes!”

Yan Sanhe: “If we can prove that Geng Songsheng’s cheating and that pregnant woman’s incident were both false, then Zhu Xuanjiu isn’t at all the person the Zhu family described.”

Xie Zhifei nodded instinctively.

“There’s another thing. I want to know how he did it. What methods did he use, what means did he employ?”

Yan Sanhe’s voice was very low.

“Perhaps this could extend to the matters involving the Zhu family’s eldest and fifth masters.”

A flame kindled in Xie Zhifei’s eyes.

This girl was truly too clever!

The flame quickly extinguished, followed by a long silence and increasingly furrowed brows.

“Yan Sanhe.”

He began in a low voice: “This trip, I…”

“I know.”

It must be said, this face was truly handsome, but Yan Sanhe really didn’t like seeing him frown.

“Mount Wutai is a temple. I’ll take Young Master Pei with me. Give me Ding Yi and Huang Qi, and leave Zhu Qing with you. You wait for me in the capital.”

Wait—it was a good word.

Xie Zhifei liked it, but his heart was still reluctant.

The round trip would take nearly ten days. In those ten days, what might they encounter on the road, would they meet bandits, could they find Geng Songsheng smoothly…

Frowning again?

Yan Sanhe asked with a soft laugh: “Xie Zhifei, what are you reluctant to part with?”

You!

Xie Zhifei covered his lips and coughed lightly several times, his face wearing a big-bad-wolf expression.

“What could I be reluctant about? I just heard Mount Wutai is extremely cold, and your health…”

“Pfft…”

Li Buyan couldn’t help it. “Third Master, what my young lady fears least is cold. You’d do better to worry about me.”

Get lost!

“Your body just had two drops of blood drawn. Don’t rush too much. Rest when you should.”

Xie Zhifei maintained his composure as he finished speaking. “Don’t worry about the Zhu family matters either. I’ll watch over them for you.”

As he said this, his gaze was deep as he looked at Yan Sanhe. The intensity of his stare made her uncomfortable, and she turned her face away, nodding.

Xie Zhifei pulled out a badge from his chest.

“The Embroidered Uniform Guard badge. I coaxed it from Cai Si. Keep it on you. Best if you don’t need it, but if you truly encounter difficulties, find the local authorities. It should be somewhat useful.”

He’d even thought of this.

Yan Sanhe met his gaze and said warmly: “Anything else you need to tell me?”

“Nothing.”

Xie Zhifei crossed his arms over his chest, that roguish energy returning. “I’ll find a place to rest for two shichen, then see you off at dawn.”

“I’m afraid you won’t get to rest. Xie Chengyu, run an errand for me!”

Hearing this call, Xie Zhifei’s eyes lit up brilliantly. “Tell me, what do you need me to do?”